Precious Metals
by DaHaloChick
Summary: When Milo found out that Shaina had found a man for herself, he was hurt far deeper than he'd admit. If he had another chance at happiness, would he really be able to give up his womanizing ways and settle down? COMPLETE! Possible epilogue in the works
1. Bar Crawling

**_Precious Metals_**

_Chapter 1 Bar-Crawling_

**AUTHORS NOTE: **This is my first real, big Saint Seiya fanfiction, and so far in the circles i've paraded it around in, its been very popular!

This whole story started as a challenge by my friend Shaina, who wrote this wonderful fic about a love between Shaina and DeathMask in which Milo was made quite the fool of due to his failed attempts to woo Shaina. She challenged me to create a woman who could convince Milo to settle down, and it grew into this idea about delving into what really makes Milo tick and even spawned a whole new generation of Silver Saints!

Anyway, Saint Seiya doesn't belong to me, we all know this, yadda yadda yadda (except for the new Silver Saints, they're mine). Enjoy, and this chapter is dedicated to Shaina for giving me the drive to create this!

-

"He's at it _again_, Mu."

"I am aware, Milo," Mu was glad that his patience stretched as long as it did for his young apprentice. "Kiki is simply excited about the fact that Athena has decided to begin rebuilding her ranks of Silver Saints. He just wants to show them around."

"Yeah, but in such a way? What was he thinking?" Milo had been dressing after a relaxing bath when he felt several cosmos trying to pass through his domain. He had run out in nothing but a pair of pants to try and intercept the intruders. What he had found were four strangers, three men and one masked woman, and a grinning Kiki waiting for him. "I wanted to introduce the new Silver Saints to all of the Gold Saints! Guys, this is Scorpio Milo!"

He had to resist the urge to strike the young boy in the face.

Milo sat on the stairs of the Aries temple next to its guardian, thinking about the idea of replacing the former Silver Saints. They had been completely loyal to the 'Pope', completely oblivious as to the murder of the true Pope. He hoped that this group was a little keener than their predecessors.

"Well Mu…what do you think of Athena recruiting new Saints?" Milo didn't talk to the Aries Saint that often, but he was intelligent and a good observer.

Mu looked up pensively. "Well…it had to be done sooner or later. So many of the Silver Saints lost their lives trying to fight off the Bronze Saints, there are barely any left. Athena, I think, is trying to keep things balanced." He frowned a bit. "Still, it is odd, having the armors passed down so soon after their former wearers were buried."

Milo nodded. "Yeah, but they were fools. They forgot their loyalty is to Athena, not the Pope. How could they not realize that killing the Bronze Saints would not be something Athena would approve of? It just seems ridiculous to me."

With that, Milo gave Mu a wave of his hand in parting and began his ascension back to his own temple.

-

Later that night, Milo was bored out of his mind. He was in a curious mood. Normally he was happy to spend a quiet night in his temple, reflecting on whatever came to mind, but tonight, he felt restless. He felt the urge to leave the solitude of his Temple and go out.

He dressed in simple pants and shoes, with a light top fitting of the hot Greek weather. Milo was used to such things, having trained in Greece since he was little.

His mind wandered as he made his way out of Sanctuary. Although not many people knew it, Milo was capable of feeling loneliness. Every once in a blue moon, he got in the mood to go out simply to be in the company of other humans.

Milo hated nights like these. While it felt good to go out and get trashed every now and again, he despised the feelings that drove him to that end. The only friendship he really felt he had was with Camus, and the man wouldn't be caught dead outside of Sanctuary. He completely preferred spending his time alone in the Aquarius Temple. As much as he enjoyed their quiet, intelligent conversation, it was vastly different from the type of company he knew he'd be searching for tonight.

It didn't take him long to reach the bar he was headed to. It was the closest one to Sanctuary and, because of that, he often ran into other Saints there. He could feel several cosmos coming from the bar already, but none were really familiar.

The bar was small, at least on the outside. He was always surprised when he walked in at how much capacity the place could hold. It wasn't a busy bar for its size, but they kept good, constant business and were well off enough to decorate the insides in a very comfortable manner.

He looked around, curious as to what Saints were here tonight. He got his answer by looking at the bar.

Sitting there were four people whose cosmos he now recognized from earlier. They were the new Silver Saints that Kiki had so excitedly introduced him to.

He scanned the room, finding no prospective female partners for the night. Perhaps, he thought, chatting with the newbies would be a sufficient waste of time until someone attention-worthy arrived.

He observed them closer as he approached; realizing the female of the group was sitting on the rightmost side. He put on a grin, slipping into the seat next to her. "Hello there."

The four turned towards him, surprise on their faces.

"Ah…Milo, correct?"

He nodded at the young boy who recognized him. "You got it. So, what are your names?"

The boy farthest from him locked eyes with him confidently. "My name's Oscar." He had dark hair and dark eyes, and he probably had the strongest cosmos of the four of them.

"I'm Sanjiro, good to see you again!" Another boy with dark hair and eyes, but this one had distinct Asian features. He seemed much softer than the rest of them, and his eyes were lit up almost like a child's.

"The name's Peter," the third one replied softly. This one reminded him of Camus in his demeanor. He had near blonde hair and set blue eyes that he could only describe as 'neutral'.

Milo looked expectantly at the girl next to him. She bowed slightly in respect. "I'm Roxohnda," her eyes sparkled with amusement when he raised an eyebrow. He couldn't see her enjoyment, however, because her eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.

"Well, nice to meet you, Roxohnda," he smirked. "Nice hair…is that natural or…"

The boys laughed. Roxohnda put a hand through her orange yellow-streaked hair as she gave him a playful look behind her shades. "That's a secret."

Milo shrugged. "Oh, well. Either you'll tell me or I'll watch your hair grow and see if it grows in that color. You can't hide it forever."

She smiled. "Ah, a man who thinks! I should have expected that from someone of your rank!" She bit her lip in thought. "So, Milo, that's a Greek name. I assume you grew up here?"

"You'd be correct," he eyed them, trying to make his own educated guesses. He found himself at a bit of a loss. "What about the four of you?"

Sanjiro grinned proudly. "I'm from Japan! Pete's from Russia, Oscar's from Spain, and Roxohnda's from France."

Milo eyed Roxohnda. "One of my closer friends is French. Usually when he wants to be left alone, he babbles in French. I'm pretty sure he's mocking me when he does that."

"Aww, maybe one day, if you're lucky enough, I'll teach you," she replied in French. Milo gave her an incredulous look that sent the three boys into another laughing frenzy.

Despite his annoyance, Milo found that her foreign words had a different effect on him than the Aquarius Saint's did. He had always been irked by Camus' use of the French language; however, coming from the lips of this woman, he found them much more appreciative. He summed it up in the most macho way he could think of. "Well, it sounds pretty at least, coming from you, anyway."

She gave him a small smile while her three companions' laughing increased between themselves. His mastery of his native language rolled off of his tongue in a way that made her thankful she had been sitting instead of standing. "Well then, I seem to have been beaten in this war of languages, at least where Greek is concerned."

The Scorpio Saint grinned. "Yeah, pretty much."

Milo couldn't help himself from gazing at her. She was eye-catching with the colors of her hair, and her sunglasses made him curious as to her eye color. She seemed to be eyeing him as well, although he couldn't really tell.

The three boys watched their friend and the Gold Saint before them stare each other down. Sanjiro smirked, whispering to his comrades. "I wonder, if he's going to try and attack her or molest her…?"

They both chuckled softly, trying their best not to catch Milo's attention. Oscar elbowed them and motioned over to the dance floor. They nodded and went with him to leave Milo and Roxohnda to their own devices.

Milo was eventually pulled out of his own thoughts by the bartender. "Hey there, you two! Can I get you anything?"

He would normally be doing shots of Ouzo to drown himself out of the moods that normally drove him here, but now he felt the need for a more relaxing drink. "I'll have a Mojito."

Roxohnda sighed, tapping the side of her glasses in thought. "I'm going to have…a Sex on the Beach, please." She was in the mood for a fruitier type of drink.

The bartender nodded and began tending to their orders. Milo turned to her with a grin. "Oh, so you like sex on the beach, huh? Gotta try that sometime."

Roxohnda raised a hidden eyebrow. Was he _hitting_ _on her_ now? "Do you mean in general, or with you?" she asked lightly.

Milo turned his hunter's look on her. "Either way, although the latter is preferable. I've never had sex on the beach before."

The Silver Saint's lips slid into a smile as glasses clinked onto the counter. "Really? That's a shame. It's great." She grabbed her drink, holding it up to him. "Go ahead. Try it."

Nothing made Milo happier than a woman that knew how to play back. He captured the straw playfully with his teeth, earning a giggle from her as he drank. Suddenly, all of his thoughts and plans for finding a woman for his bed had escaped him.

-

I hoped you all enjoyed it! PLEASE review and stay tuned for the next chapter! Until next time!


	2. Drunk

**_Precious Metals_**

_Chapter 2 Drunk_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Saint Seiya doesn't belong to me, but there are plenty of other people it DOES belong to, so they can keep it. I'd rather not be sued. The new Silver Saints do belong to me, however.

I'm very excited about sharing this chapter in particular because this chapter spurred Shaina to ask me for permission for her to host this story on her site, Stayka's Saint Seiya Archive! I was so flattered and filled with determination to continue this story and do my best!

Enjoy!

-

Milo was a dangerous drunk. Sure, the drunker he got, the more likely he was to swing a punch at someone, and that was dangerous in its own right, but the worst damage that he did when he was drunk was to his own self.

Milo's life was his cloth. He had been training for it since he could remember. His whole life, he had been engrained with his purpose: to protect the Goddess Athena, however she required him to do so. He had done his best to make decisions he felt were the right ones. For the benefit of all, for the greater good. He had his own standards he lived by. Loyalty and honor. Those were his highest principles.

And that was why he left the bar that night with nothing more than a wave good-bye and an approaching hangover.

As much as he enjoyed his flirtations with the new female Silver Saint, he had made no moves to sleep with her. He had been deeply involved in their playful conversation, and then suddenly, the bar was closing. He didn't want to fathom how many hours he had spent talking to her. Most of it was a blur now, anyways.

He silently made his way up through the Temples without any interruptions. His comrades were no doubt asleep by now, and even so, they knew better than to try and stop him when he had been out drinking. It only caused trouble, and then Milo never remembered it anyway. All he had left of those encounters were the stories told by the other Gold Saints the next day.

'_And so, here I go, back to my Temple, alone. Why the _hell_ am I alone tonight?'_

The thought angered him. He was _always_ alone at night, even if he did manage to find some woman to screw into oblivion. It never lasted. He was convinced it wasn't meant to. When had Scorpio Milo ever had a solid, monogamous relationship?

He let out a slurred laugh at the thought.

It was ironic to him. He knew he was good-looking, smart, strong, powerful, all of the stuff woman supposedly loved in a man, and yet, no relationship ever lasted more than a few nights. During his darker moments, he wondered if he was even worth more than that since he was merely a protector of a young girl. Thankfully, his mood was not that bleak this evening.

Milo shook his head and cursed himself for that train of thought. He knew better. He was honored and proud to serve Athena. To think otherwise would be lying to himself. He had been chosen. He had put his all into earning his cloth, and he had succeeded. His occupation was not his problem. It was everything else _outside_ of that occupation.

His mind veered towards an image of a masked face adorned in red curls and long, cascading green hair. The two Silver Saints known as Aquilla Marin and Ophiuchus Shaina. Both strong, powerful women, and both desired in some way or another by just about every Saint worth his salt in Sanctuary. He had enjoyed playing games with them. Coming up with ideas to spark confrontations had occupied many hours of his time. He hadn't really had anything better to do.

Still, he knew Marin was deeply in love with Leo Aioria, and he would not dare touch her for that reason. The closest he had come was starting rumors about him and the two female Saints. Marin had never flinched in the midst of these words. Shaina was a different story.

She had been angry, and had often tried to threaten him. He had only began to take her words seriously when Cancer DeathMask had approached him with a warning to stay away from Shaina and take his words back because he was now Shaina's lover and would not stand for it. Milo had been stunned.

With all of the women he had slept with, he had been sure he'd at least get Shaina into his bed at some point. Even _DeathMask_ had found love, and with a woman he had been sure wouldn't settle for anyone.

He frowned as he entered his Temple. Was that was he was looking for? Love? The thought puzzled him. In all of his encounters with women, love had never entered the equation. Sure, he had found himself attached to a few of his partners that had lasted a while, but it never grew beyond that. He had his duty to Athena.

He smacked himself in the face. _'Oh, what a moron I am!'_ Of course those nights had never lasted! The women he chose were civilians, people who did not know of nor would ever understand being a Saint. They would never comprehend that his life belonged to Athena above all else, that he would die for his Goddess. If he were to find a suitable woman, it would have to be another Saint who had that same goal, who also held Athena to the highest. Perhaps that was why the failing of his pursuit of Shaina had been bothering him so much. She had been the only worthwhile woman left in Sanctuary after Marin began dating Aioria.

The taste of fruit suddenly played on his lips. A feminine laughter filled his ears. A vision of hidden eyes. He punched the wall of his Temple half-heartedly.

He could not go further with those thoughts. Roxohnda had played back to his advances too readily. She would wind up being like all of the others. He'd rather try and actually be a _friend_ to a woman than a lay. For some reason, the new lady Saint seemed too different from anyone he'd met for him to treat her like he'd treated ever other woman. She was…

He was too inebriated to try and finish the thought. Instead, he let his body hit his mattress heavily and welcomed the darkness that overtook his senses.

-

The next morning was hell for Milo. He showered and drowned himself in coffee in an attempt to fight through his hangover. His body itched for fresh air, and Milo often indulged in a quiet sit on the steps of his Temple in the hot Greek sun, but he could barely move this morning. He had returned home much later than usual, and couldn't even clearly remember when he had passed out.

Still, he managed to drag himself into the kitchen to enjoy his coffee, sitting in silence until he sobered up just enough to begin remembering the night before. The more he remembered his previous thoughts and actions, the more he felt the need to go and drink again. The mere thought of more alcohol made him almost gag against his coffee cup.

He looked up when he felt a cosmos enter his Temple. He grumbled, searching for the energy to get up and protect his domain. Before he could find it, long blue hair and a grin greeted him at the door of his kitchen. "Hey there, Milo!" The grin fell. "Hey man, you don't look good at _all_."

He grunted. "Kanon, can you be a little quieter, please?"

The former Marina chuckled, sitting across from Milo at the kitchen table. "You're hung over again? You know, you've been drinking more and more lately. I should have never gotten you into the habit of bar-crawling."

Milo suddenly felt a surge of anger, remembering it was indeed the new Gemini Saint that had introduced him into the world of hunting for alcohol and women around town. Not that he didn't have his fair share of both before. "Whatever."

Kanon motioned to the brewer on his counter. "May I?" Milo nodded and Kanon went over to make himself a cup. "So why'd you go out last night? You look like you really did drink too much, is something wrong?"

"Nah," Milo replied quietly, afraid the sound of his own voice would make his head explode. "I was just bored and wanted to go find a way to…occupy my time."

"Ah," Kanon breathed in understanding. "So, did you find anything good?"

"Well, not really. Got caught up talking to the newbies…"

"Newbies?"

"The new Silver Saints. I know you know who they are, because Kiki won't let us _not_ know."

Kanon held back his laughter for the sake of his friend. "Oh yes, Kiki introduced me to them. They seem like they're promising enough. I'm just skeptical about their loyalty to Athena. I hope they realize the measures they must go to if need be."

Milo nodded. He felt bothered at the thought of the four of them dieing. He knew they were somewhere around his age at least, he could tell by looking at them, but their energy and the feeling of their cosmos made them seem so young to him, having only just begun…"I hope it never comes to that for any of us." He grimaced. "Been there, done that."

"And we'd do it again, too." Milo did not need to spend the energy to agree with him, as his friend knew that his statement was truth for all of the Gold Saints.

Kanon put some sugar in his coffee and sat back down. "So, what do _you_ think of them?"

He thought each one of the new Saints over. "I didn't really get to know any of them except for the girl."

Kanon smirked. "Oh, so you spent some time with the female Perseus Saint?" Milo blinked a few times, taking that in. He hadn't even known what cloths they possessed. So, she had been chosen to succeed Algol... "Yeah…not like that though. We just talked."

That made Kanon raise an eyebrow. "You just…talked?" Milo nodded in complete seriousness. Kanon could take it no longer. "Alright, that's it. Fess up. What's wrong Milo? Tell me what's been going on."

Milo slammed his coffee mug down shakily, shuddering at the pain it caused his head. He couldn't hold it in anymore, and his hangover had destroyed his last threads of restraint. "I'm tired of it! I try so hard and it fails every damn time! For Athena's sake Kanon, I got beat out by _DeathMask_!"

Kanon grinned in understanding. "Ah. Shaina."

Milo ran an exasperated hand through his hair. "It's not so much her. I mean, who could honestly expect someone like her to settle? At least that's what I thought…and with DeathMask of all people…"

"Whoa, whoa. Now you're talking about _settling_?" Kanon sat back, looking at the distraught Scorpio Saint before him. "Are you talking about DeathMask and Shaina settling…or are we talking about _you_ wanting to settle down?"

Milo couldn't find an answer. Was that was he was looking for? He had never had that type of relationship before. If he figured that he wanted one, could he even do it?

Kanon gave him a serious look. "Alright, so you look confused. Don't sweat it. If you're not sure, find someone you wouldn't mind spending an…extended amount of time with, and try it out. You will have your answer and you can keep her or dump her as you wish."

"I can't do that to her." The words poured out his mouth before he could stop them.

Kanon put on a Cheshire grin. _'Oh, this is _too_ funny'_. "Oh, there's a 'her' already?"

Milo glared at him. "No, there isn't."

"Then who is this woman you speak of?" Kanon knew he was going to get his answer. He had Milo cornered and he could not deny he just spoke of a woman who he apparently already had in mind. Milo simply looked down, finding the floor of his kitchen highly interesting for some reason.

Kanon's mind was churning all through Milo's silence. A smile crept onto his face as realization graced him. "Wait…are we referring to the new Perseus Saint?"

Milo looked up at him, feeling as if the scowl he was presenting to the twin was more serious than he intended. "Whatever you're trying to scheme up, Kanon, leave Roxohnda out of it."

Kanon slapped the table in victory, not even noticing Milo's flinching at the loud noise. "Oh, she has a name! Why Milo you sly dog, you work fast!"

"She's just…a friend, Kanon. Nothing more. I've only known her for a night!"

"Oh, please!" He threw his hands up in frustration. "Alright, Milo, you leave me no choice. I'm going to pull you out of this funk if it kills me!" He got up and sat in the seat closest to his friend, gripping him by the shoulders and shook him a bit to get his attention.

"Milo, listen. I'm trying to be supportive here. If you like this girl, there's no harm in giving it a try. Since when have you spent a night in a bar just _talking_ to a woman? Just be yourself and do what you always do. Put on the charm. Make it so she can't resist you. You do it all the time, why not now?" Kanon shook him again. "The point is, Milo, to not let an opportunity like this pass. We're Saints. Our lives are at risk every day. Things like romance are rare for us. If you can find it, then hold on to it as hard as you can."

Milo nodded, his words making sense to his scrambled mind. "Yeah…yeah, you're right Kanon. I just…" he shook his head. Something about his thoughts from last night was trying to poke through the clouded surface of his mind…

Kanon patted his back. "Go after her!"

Milo's mind swirled to a stop, forming resolution and decision in his mind. He needed to figure out what it was he was searching for. He could no longer ignore his pain; it had begun to eat away at him to the point where he dared not even admit it to himself.

Milo looked seriously at his cup of coffee in thought. Kanon, seeing his friend's wheels were turning, simply smiled before quietly getting up and leaving Milo to his thoughts.

-

Hope you liked it! Please review and let me know what you thought! See you soon!


	3. Too Far, Too Hard

**_Precious Metals_**

_Chapter 3 Too Far, Too Hard_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Saint Seiya doesn't belong to me, only the new Silver Saints do, cause I created them.

Also, _maître _is French for 'Teacher' or 'Master', and that is what Roxohnda refers to her trainer as.

Enjoy, and please review!

-

Roxohnda clasped hands tightly with her _maître_, grinning at her. "Thank you for the extra lesson. I needed it."

Shaina smiled at her student. "Not as much as you think you did. You're good, Roxohnda, you just need to realize it."

Roxohnda was sure that if one more person told her that, she would snap. Everyone always thought it should be so easy for her to be so confident, but Roxohnda knew that was her downfall. She was all too aware of her flaws, and often dwelled on them. Still, it was undeniable that she had talent. The Goddess Athena had granted her the power of the Perseus cloth, and Roxohnda did not take that lightly.

Roxohnda gave her _maître_ a worried look behind her mask. Even after becoming a Silver Saint, technically equal to the Ophiuchus Saint herself, she came to Shaina for help on too regular of a basis for her liking. Roxohnda was afraid she would stay too attached to her teacher. Although she greatly admired and appreciated Shaina and would always hold her in great esteem, she knew she needed to become a Saint in her own right. She had to break free and go on her own.

That was where her Boys came in. Oscar, Sanjiro, and Peter were her closest friends here in Sanctuary. For some unknown reason, the four of them had bonded almost instantaneously. She had been self-conscious at first because she was the only girl in their little group, but they treated her as if she were just one of the guys. She appreciated them more than she'd admit for that.

'_Which reminds me, I have to meet them at the bar soon.'_ She bowed to Shaina in thanks and spun on her heel, heading towards her own hut to get ready. She was excited to let loose with her friends tonight.

She finally reached her hut, as plain and minimal as all female Saints abodes were, and quickly slipped in, taking off her cloth and storing it in its box. Her heart leaped with pride whenever she saw the box she stored her cloth in. It was a reminder of how far she had come.

When she had first come to Sanctuary, it was by the hands of Astreya, a Saint known for his knack for finding children with promising cosmos. She remembered clinging to the taller man's hand as a young girl, a hood over her tiny head, trusting of Astreya but scared of where she was going.

Astreya had spent their trip from France to Sanctuary telling her many stories of the Goddess Athena and her Saints. It all sounded like a mystical fairy tale to Roxohnda. Still, Astreya had made it very clear that being a Saint was serious business, and that it would require hard work.

Roxohnda was simply happy to have a home. Having been without parents since she could remember, the idea of someone finally taking her to a home after seeing so many other children leaving foster care with new parents was elating. She was going to finally be _important_, not lost in the shuffle like she had been so many times. The emptiness she carried as a little girl was filled with thoughts of serving Athena.

She was confused when she was greeted with a welcome and a mask. She was told that no man was to see her face; that if they did, she would either have to love them or kill them. She would not understand the severity of those choices until she became old enough to do so.

Still, she did not question. She put on her mask and began training with the other little girls her age. She had actually thought of the training as rather fun until a master was chosen for her. Ophiuchus Shaina made it very clear to her students that what she was going to put them through was no fun and games. It took Roxohnda a while to adjust to, but soon, she was at her own pace, working hard and growing as a fighter. She looked up to her confident, powerful teacher. She wished she could be as respected as Shaina one day.

That was what Roxohnda believed was her downfall. Rather than setting her own personal goals, she picked someone to aspire to. It made the times when she wasn't at the top of her game hard on her. Thank Athena, she thought, that Shaina was as supportive of a _maître_ as she was. Even now, having made her own name for herself, she still relied on the support of Shaina, which is why she knew she needed to let go.

She smiled. _'I'm a warrior of Athena now, truly and fully. Now, my Goddess relies on _me_. I must be worthy of that'_

With a sudden new spring in her step, Roxohnda wondered what she should wear tonight, and if the possible appearance of a certain someone should influence her choices or not.

-

Roxohnda was greeted by her boys with hugs and pats on the back. It was obvious to her that they had been drinking already.

"What took you so long, Roxy?" Sanjiro asked playfully.

"I was training with Shaina for a while."

Oscar rolled his eyes. He wasn't surprised in the slightest. "You're going to work yourself into _infierno_ itself, Roxohnda."

"Nah," she grinned. "Sanctuary's high up enough. I got some room to work with before

I get _that_ far down."

The four of them laughed, catching the attention of the bartender whom immediately took more drink orders. They chatted for a while before two blue-haired men entered the bar.

Roxohnda's eyes shifted to the front door with a grin. There he was, and he was coming right for her.

"Hey there, pretty lady," Milo said with a wink. "How's it going tonight?"

Roxohnda smirked. "Fine, thank you." Her three companions all gave Milo greetings which he returned.

Milo sat next to her with his companion. "Roxohnda, this is Kanon."

She shook the other man's hand as he grinned. "You look like you've seen a ghost there, Roxohnda."

She looked at him oddly. "I feel like I've met you before…"

Kanon laughed. "You haven't met me, but you've more than likely met my brother, Saga."

Her eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh, right! You two are twins! Well, it's nice to meet you, Kanon."

Kanon smiled and joined in a conversation with the two of them before slipping away into the corner of the bar. He'd gotten Milo into a conversation with Roxohnda. The rest was up to him now.

The Gemini Saint sat back in his new chair, eyeing the two of them thoughtfully. She seemed energetic enough to handle Milo's personality, and there was mysteriousness to her with those sunglasses that he liked. She was cute, and from their short conversation he could tell she had some intelligence. Slowly, he began to understand why this woman in particular had given Milo such an itch. He frowned as he saw Milo order a beer. Hadn't he already been drinking before he picked him up? _'Just don't screw this up, buddy.'_

Milo fell easily into their pattern of chattiness. Unlike the first time when he had gotten caught up in their conversation, though, he stayed alert and aware, because this time, he had a mission. He took a swig of his beer before beginning.

"So," Milo began, putting on the hunters look he gave her when they first met. "How are you adjusting?"

"I'm doing alright. I've been making friends with more of my group," she said, not wanting to speak of business in a public place like this.

The Scorpio Saint nodded in understanding. "That's good. You're training is going well, I hope?"

Roxohnda nodded. "Very well. I'm lucky to have such a great teacher." Milo took a long, hard swig as the thought of the green-haired warrior.

His eyes gleamed. "Any guys catch your eye now that you've actually been interacting with them?"

She smirked. _'He's doing it again'_ "Not any of the Silver Saints, anyway."

Milo put on a flattered look. "Oh, might you be saying that _I_ have caught your attention?"

She laughed. "Well, you're kind of hard to miss there, buddy." She really did enjoy this playful banter.

Milo scooted closer, placing his cheek against hers and whispering softly into her ear. "Good, because a pretty thing like you shouldn't be without…companionship."

Roxohnda's face flushed. Something suddenly didn't feel right. "I…think I'm fine by myself…"

Milo took her shaky voice to mean that he had her hooked. He chuckled. "Well, I bet I can prove you wrong, Roxohnda. I can show you just what you're missing out on."

She swallowed hard. She had to admit that Milo was damned attractive, even downright sexy, but this was only their second meeting! She hadn't expected him to come on this strong so fast. "Hey…don't you think you're laying it on a little thick tonight, Milo?"

He pressed his lips against her earlobe gently, smiling when he heard her breath hitch. She was being stubborn, and he could feel her resolve slipping. "You can't deny the fact that we clicked the first time we met. You know you felt it."

Roxohnda knew she indeed could not ignore that fact. She felt dizzy with the heat of his breath on her ear. Still, through her lust she still had a gut feeling that there was something horribly _wrong_ with the scenario. "Milo, I'm sorry, but no. We just met—"

"Saints have to take chances on things like this, because we never know if we will be waking up with the world the next morning." He smirked. "Why not wake up beside me tomorrow, hmm?" He remembered using that line years ago, and it had worked like a charm.

She pulled back. Now she was just plain annoyed. "I said no, Milo," she said in a low voice, not wanting to embarrass him. "You're making me uncomfortable. Please stop." She gave him the most serious look she could muster.

Milo was still smiling, daring to run a finger along the side of her sunglasses and putting the other on her waist. He should have counted himself lucky that he could not see the look she was giving him behind them. "Come on, Roxohnda. You can relax around me. I'm not out to hurt you. I like you." He put on a humorous grin. "I'll even let you take these sunglasses off and won't hold you to that silly vow—"

A crack rang through the air as Roxohnda struck him in the face with her left hand. His head jerked. The bar went silent. Kanon cringed, knowing that his poor friend had just blown it big time.

"Don't touch me again," she said angrily. Her hand was shaking. Who in the hell was this man? Certainly not the Milo she had met her first night at this bar. "You obviously have no respect, Milo." She struggled to keep a calm face. "You certainly aren't the man I thought you were. That's a pity." She jammed her hand into her pocket, slamming money onto the bar for her drink and storming out of the establishment.

Milo could not feel the physical sting of her strike nor could he clearly make out the howls of laughter that followed the French woman's exit. He was frozen, head turned to the side, cheek swelling, and pride shattered. He did not know what to do or say. He was completely and utterly stunned.

He vaguely felt hands grab him. "Come on, Milo," Kanon said, "Let's get you home. We'll regroup there."

Milo could not answer; all he could do was pathetically let himself be led out by the Gemini Saint.

'_I tried too hard…'_

-

'_He went too far!'_

Roxohnda was positively furious. She had pegged him as a flirt, so she couldn't fault him for being suggestive, but she had asked him several times, _very_ clearly, to back off, and still he pawed at her like some sort of ravenous animal!

'_What in the hell does he think I am? Some piece of meat he can just screw whenever he wants because he's gorgeous?' _She growled at herself for that last thought. How she could still think of him as such after what just happened was beyond her.

She felt angry and shocked and violated. He had seemed so nice, and he had played off his advances as nothing more than a game. She hadn't minded that. Then, without warning, he starts trying to _bed_ _her_ in front of an entire bar with no regard for her feelings! She scratched her ear as if he had breathed some sort of disease on her that she had to get off. She felt gross and nauseous.

She had really liked him, too. He had a great smile, and he was as charming as anything, but none of that could counteract what he had done. Her mind was fogging with confusion. She had liked him so much, and now he had gone and ruined it all! She wanted to strangle him, shake him by his shoulders and ask him _why_. The connection they had forged that first night snapped like a cord. It ached in her chest.

She fought back tears as she reached her hut. Silently, she made a promise to herself.

She would never, ever let Scorpio Milo get that close to her again if she could help it.

-

I hope you enjoyed reading! PLEASE review and i'll see you in Chapter 4!


	4. Hope

'Precious Metals' Chapter 4, Hope

-

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: Saint Seiya and all related things belong to the people who own it and created it, except for Roxohnda and Oscar. They're mine

This chappy is dedicated to Scorpio no Milo from the SaintSeiyaFan forums, who was dieing to know who i'd pick to come and help Milo in his hour of need. Here's your answer hon! Enjoy!

ConCrit is welcomed, encouraged, and gosh darnit, even begged for! If you like the story, let me know it so I can keep on writing!

-

It was almost as if Sober Milo and Drunken Milo were two completely different men. Once Milo had arrived home, Kanon had helped him into bed. He'd then left him to make the both of them some coffee to wind down from the night's disaster. That was when Milo dug up the hidden stash of his best Ouzo from under his bed.

As he sat there, hair tousled and his lips glued to the bottle, Drunken Milo began to emerge, along with all of the pain and loneliness that his darker thoughts always brought him. This time, though, his most prominent companion was guilt.

How could he have treated her like that? Milo could only think of the shocked look on her face when she'd struck him. His fingers angrily laced themselves into his hair.

'_You certainly aren't the man I thought you were!'_

'_You obviously have no respect!'_

'_Don't touch me again!'_

Milo suddenly threw the bottle with a growl, watching the cascading rainbow of glass through muddled vision. He didn't even notice Kanon run into his room at the sound of the crash.

Kanon's eyes widened at the scene before him. He knew his friend was upset, but the sight of him slumped in his bed and a broken bottle of booze on the floor disturbed Kanon in a way he could not describe.

The blue-haired warrior backed up slowly, not wanting to disturb Milo, yet afraid to leave the man alone. Still, he suddenly realized that he could not help the Scorpio Saint. Not on his own, anyway. He needed another source, someone else who would understand the saddened man before him.

Kanon slipped out of the room and quietly closed the door behind him. There was only one person he could think of to help, and he had to find him as quickly as he could, before Milo really hurt himself. He changed his walking pace to a sprint, hoping he could convince the man to come down to Scorpio temple in time.

-

"Are you sure you should do this by yourself?"

Camus nodded at Kanon. "The less people there are, the more likely it will be that I can get him to…open up. It is obvious that these problems lie deeper than he is letting on."

Kanon nodded. "Well, you're the best person I can think of to help him, so I trust you." With that, Camus nodded at Kanon in parting and the Gemini Saint made his way back down to his temple.

He walked into Scorpio Temple, feeling no resistance whatsoever at his presence. That was very unlike Milo to not jump to defend his temple, and it struck a haunting chord in the Aquarius Saint that cemented his fleeting notion that Kanon had not been overreacting in the slightest.

He made his way towards the bedroom, making sure not to knock when he entered. He was greeted with the sight of the blue-haired Saint slumped in his bed, holding an as-yet unopened bottle of whisky, staring at the label with a little too much interest.

Camus pulled the chair over from Milo's desk, placing it next to the bed and sitting in it. He folded his hands, unsure of where to begin. "Milo, it's me. Can you put that bottle down so we can talk?"

The glass slipped from his fingers, hitting the soft bed. Milo looked up at him, seeming to snap out of his haze at the sound of his closest friend. "Camus…"

Camus let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. With the way Milo had looked when he came in, he wasn't sure what kind of state he had exactly been in. He decided to cut to the chase. "Milo…Kanon already told me what's been going on. Still, I want to hear it from you. Who is this girl that has made you so upset?"

Milo looked down in thought, as if he was choosing his words carefully. "It's not her that's causing me the problems." He looked up at him. "You know, DeathMask and Shaina have become lovers."

Camus sat back slowly. He had heard rumors, but hadn't really known if they were true or not. He hadn't even really cared; it wasn't his business after all. Still, this confirmation gave light to his friend's situation. "I heard. So it's true…and this upsets you?"

Milo nodded. He was weary in spirit and no longer wanted to spend energy on trying to hide how badly the whole thing had affected him. "DeathMask of all people has found love, and with the most unlikely woman…the woman I had been pursuing." He looked down. "Camus, I really do think I cared a lot for Shaina."

"Maybe you did. Maybe you still do. Maybe…you always will." Camus looked at him seriously, trying to be as blunt as possible. "Still, she's not yours. She most likely never will be. You need to deal with that, Milo."

Tired eyes glared at Camus. "I don't need to hear this, Camus, I—"

"No, Milo, quite the contrary. You _do_ need to hear this, and I'm going to make sure that you do, whether you want to or not." Milo clenched his jaw, his better judgment refusing to interrupt his friend's wisdom.

"You have slipped into a dangerous pattern, Milo. Kanon tells me you're thinking of finding a woman to settle down with. You are only 22 years old. You don't need to settle down. You have many more pressing matters at hand."

Milo shot up onto his feet defensively. "Oh yeah? Like what, huh?"

Camus reached for the bed, picking up the fallen bottle. "Like this. You're drinking has gotten out of hand, and it needs to stop. This, I think, is probably the source of your problems. You cannot work through this if you're not sober."

Milo grumbled, but he knew Camus was right. His thoughts were too dangerous when he was drunk, and he was tired of the fog his drinking left him in. He sat back onto the bed. "I can't do this…"

"Yes you can, Milo, and you have me here to help." The edges of his lips tugged upwards. "You have Kanon as well, although I cannot attest for the soundness of his advice." Camus decided that it was time to try and delve a bit deeper. "Speaking of, Kanon _did_ tell me just about everything. So, I want to ask…who is this woman that you insulted so badly?"

Milo sighed. "Her name is Roxohnda. She's the new Perseus saint."

Camus nodded. "I think I remember Kiki introducing me to her. She is the girl with the orange hair, is she not?" Milo nodded. "So, what exactly did you do?"

"The same thing I always do."

"Ah." Camus didn't need further explanation. "She didn't go for your tactics?"

Milo shook his head. "She wouldn't. She's…well…" He found he couldn't think of a realistic way to describe her. "She's just…different. Deserving of far more than my crude ways."

"You could always apologize," Camus offered.

"No, I can't."

"Was it that bad?"

"I tried to take her sunglasses off to see her face."

Camus winced. "That is bad indeed. In this instance, you'll need more than a simple apology."

"It's not going to be easy to change my ways, is it Camus?"

The Aquarian shook his head. "Nothing of importance ever is. It will take time, but if it means enough to you, it is possible."

Milo could feel the truth of that statement resonate in his bones. "So…what do I do first?"

-

"I don't need to be taken care of, Oscar," Roxohnda explained. "It's not like I'm sick or anything."

The Spanish warrior sighed, running a hand over his closely shaved hair. "You could have fooled us with all the moping you've been doing in the past few weeks. Did Milo really get you this upset?" he questioned. Oscar fancied himself a ladies man, and he hadn't really seen anything wrong with Milo's advances, save for him continuing when the saddened girl before him had asked him to stop. The flare of cosmos coming from Roxohnda prompted him to change the subject.

"Well anyway, 'Jiro and Petey are training with their masters," revealed Oscar, "So that just leaves me to work on you today."

She raised an eyebrow behind her mask. "Work on me?"

Oscar grinned. "Yes! We talked about it and we decided that we're not going to stop watching over you until we're at least anywhere from 85 to 90 percent sure that you're smiling behind that mask!"

Roxohnda couldn't help but slightly give in to his wish at the idea. She could just picture the three of them sitting around a table, arguing over the correct percentage of surety to stop at so that she'd be smiling, but not annoyed at them. Only her Boys would do such a thing for her.

She chuckled. "You guys are too much."

Oscar grinned. "Hey, that's what friends are for. To try and cheer you up and to, when they fail, _force_ you to cheer up!"

Roxohnda felt truly lucky to have such great friends, but the moment she felt her spirits begin to lift, soft blue hair and lustful blue eyes crashed herself back down to the ground. She felt Oscar's eyes turn on her, as if he felt her rise and fall in the air, and his arms welcomed her when she leaned against him.

"I don't know what to do," she said, unwanted desperation bleeding through her words. "I really did like him, you know?" She bit her lip. "I still do, despite what he did. Even so, we've only met a few times, and it seems so _stupid_ to be so upset over someone I know so little of. I mean, its not like I'm in love with him or anything, we just seemed to get along so well…maybe I just wanted, I don't know, his approval or something. Maybe, because he's a Gold Saint, having him like me would mean I'm a better Sa—"

"Now that's just plain bullshit, Roxy." She sighed as he squeezed her gently. "You like him. You're _interested_ in him, in a romantic way, and there's nothing wrong with that, regardless of how long you've known him or how well you know him. You two had…a chemistry of sorts, we all saw it." He rubbed her back gently. "Listen Rox, stuff like that doesn't come along all the time. If you still like him even though he upset you, and if you still feel that connection somewhere inside you, don't let it go. That'd just be stupid."

She sniffed, making Oscar wonder if she was crying under her mask. He frowned at the thought. "Oh, but Oscar, it just felt so…so _slimy_, what he did to me…"

"I don't think that was his intention," he admitted. "Look, as a guy who admittedly enjoys the pursuit of a woman, I can tell just by looking at him that he's a genuine guy. He didn't mean to disrespect you. He probably just wanted to try and get your attention, but didn't know you well enough to understand that his methods weren't the way to do it. Everyone is different, you know? Normally before you start to make a move on a girl, you'd try and know them a bit so that you'd be able to save yourself from making a huge mistake, sort of like the ones he made with you." His brow furrowed. "I wonder what made him so eager to grab your attentions, then."

Roxohnda suddenly felt something stir inside of her. She trusted Oscar's judgment. If what he said was true, then maybe Milo _did_ have an explanation after all. Her chest ached with the idea of seeing him again. She missed him, she suddenly realized.

She sat up, gently pulling herself out of Oscar's arms. "I think I'm gonna take a bath and relax. I need some time to think."

Oscar nodded in understanding. "Do that. Take all the time you need. If you need _anything_, you let us know, you hear me?"

She nodded and Oscar ruffled her hair. "Keep a smile on under that mask, alright? Even if we can't see it, do it anyway."

"Maybe one day, you will," she said almost wistfully. Athena was no longer very strict with the rules of the women's masks. She had only begun to wear one under Shaina's encouragement anyways, and Shaina had stopped wearing her mask a while ago. Now that she thought about it, was there anything outside of habit that urged Roxohnda to wear her mask in the first place? Maybe a good way to try and step away from her dependence on the green-haired Amazon would be to find it within herself to show her face…

"Hey Roxy, you got mail."

She turned and caught the envelope that Oscar threw at her. She looked at it oddly. There was no address or any indication of where it was from; it simply had her name on it. Oscar decided to leave his friend to her own devices as he heard the sound of paper being ripped open.

-

Milo closed his eyes, letting his skin heat up under the Greek sun. Ever since Camus had first come to try and help him, he had felt lighter, as if he had been smothered in some horrible addiction and he was on his way to recovery. Since then, he and Camus had regular talks, and it has resulted in Milo putting less pressure on himself, which allowed him more freedom to think about his own thoughts and actions and determine what it was he was really grasping for. He felt _so close_ to the answer…

He continued to relax in the sun until he felt cold breeze and light escaping. He opened his eyes. It was sunset, and all was quiet on the mountain. Far too quiet for his liking.

He frowned. It had taken him a long time to get up the nerve to break the ice and make the first move between him and Roxohnda, but it seemed as if it had gone unnoticed. He would have to try and come up with another idea to get her to hear him out…

…or maybe not. As he stood to turn back into his temple, he saw a ripple in the pink hues of the sky in front of him. He felt a smile creep onto his lips as the site of a feminine figure approaching graced his eyes.

Perhaps, he thought, with this sunset, many things would end, but maybe, even more would begin.

-

Hope you enjoyed it! See you guys next time, and please leave a review!


	5. Only Just Begun

_**Precious Metals: Chapter 5**_

_Only Just Begun_

**AUTHORS NOTE: **Saint Seiya belongs to the people who own and created it, not me, blah blah blah.

HOLY ATHENA CHAPTER 5 IS HERE! XD I apologize for the long wait, but I had a killer writers block that I finally busted through!

For those who may or may not remember, _maître _is French for 'teacher' or 'master', and that is what Roxohnda calls Shaina.

CONCRIT REQUIRED, MMKAY? I love to hear reviews, so please, if you like what you read, take a second and drop me a line! I'd really appreciate it!

Here we go!

-

Milo had to stop his hands from shaking as Roxohnda reached the top step of his temple. When she stopped, Roxohnda took a deep breath to try and calm her nerves. This was their chance to fix what had been broken, and the delicacy of the situation hung in the air between them.

Roxohnda locked her gaze with his. "I got your letter," she said, breaking the silence. She suddenly realized how pathetic of a greeting that was. Why else would she have come here if she hadn't received his request for a chance to explain himself?

Milo let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, his lips curling up slightly. "I see. I'm glad you decided to come. I…appreciate you showing up." He motioned for the door to his temple. "Would you like to go inside and discuss this? I won't blame you if you don't want to, I just figured—"

"That's fine," she said, interrupting him. "I…trust you," she said hesitantly.

He looked at her seriously. "No, you don't, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't lie about it. You have every right _not_ to trust me, considering what happened."

She sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. If you're going to go out of your way to explain yourself, the least I can do is cut the crap, so to speak." She walked with him into his temple until they reached a simple room with a coffee table, couch, and a few sofa chairs.

"Make yourself at home," the Scorpio Saint said, "I'll make us some coffee. How do you take yours?"

Roxohnda sipped the hot cup of coffee before setting it down on the table. She turned to him. "So…um…where do we start?"

Milo sighed. "Well, since I called you here, I should start I suppose…" He turned to her, catching her gaze with the utmost seriousness. "I am deeply, deeply sorry about my actions at the bar. I understand that I acted like…well, I was an ass. I really do like you and respect you, Roxohnda, and I never, _ever_ intended to hurt or insult you. I want you to understand before I continue that the person you last saw in the bar was _not_ me. It was a moment of stupidity, and I swear to you, it will never happen again."

Roxohnda was taken aback by the serious of Milo's apology. Her heart leapt softly in her chest. "I…I know that, Milo. Looking at you right now, I truly believe you." Milo visibly relaxed. "Still…what brought that all on, Milo?"

Milo looked down. His mind debated over how much of the truth to reveal to the woman before him. He looked up at her, their eyes locking. He couldn't stop himself from feeling a pang of guilt shoot through him. If he was going to do this…

"Well…I'll tell you the truth, but you may not like it."

"That's alright," Roxohnda replied softly. "I'd rather you be truthful." She clasped her hands in her lap, trying to stop her hands from shaking with anxiety.

Milo nodded. "Alright. Well…I had been drinking before I came to the bar, and then I was drinking there…" He cringed at the scowl she presented to him. "Hey, let me finish, I'm not using being drunk as an excuse! See, I wasn't really gonna drink so much, but…well…when we were talking, you mentioned something that just…brought back bad memories."

Roxohnda looked down in thought, replaying their conversation in their head. After a few moments of thinking, she looked up at him. "…You mean…Shaina?"

Milo blinked. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Well," Roxohnda began, "Thinking about it now you were sipping slowly at your beer until I mentioned how lucky I was to have her as my _maître_. Once I said that, you got this…look on your face and started slamming your beer down." She took in a deep breath. "What exactly…happened between you two?" She couldn't even fathom Shaina and Milo as enemies, or maybe, they were just the opposite…a jolt of a foreign feeling shot through Roxohnda at the thought.

"Well…I have a pretty bad reputation around here as a…ladies man of sorts. I used to pass a lot of my time by making passes at Shaina." He looked down sadly. "Truth be told, I honestly do like her, a lot. I've always admired her, in a way. She's strong, smart…but I'm too much of an ass to just say it. I drove her away with my tactics, and now she's with DeathMask." He sighed. "It's just…been weighing heavily on me lately, and my drinking got kind of excessive because of it. I'm really, really sorry Roxohnda."

Roxohnda swallowed, fighting to keep a straight face, because inside she was screaming. She had thought he was interested in _her_, but really, his true feeling lied with her own teacher. _I should have known _she thought to herself. _Why would someone like him be interested in someone like me? Of course, Shaina is all those wonderful things he mentioned…I'm none of them…_She smiled gently despite the pain radiating in her chest. "I…understand now." She cursed herself mentally as she felt her fingers curl up into balls.

Milo could easily see how tense she was. "Hey Roxy, listen, I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't just flirting with you to get to Shaina or anything." He reached out and took Roxohnda's hand into his own, putting his other hand over it gently. "I know we don't know each other very well, but I do know that you're someone special. You have a great personality, you're funny, smart, and it's been nothing short of a pleasure hanging out with you. I honestly mean that."

Roxohnda took in a shaky breath, her fingers intertwining with his. She felt her cheeks pink.

"And that's exactly why I can't be with you."

"_What_?"

"I've been thinking the past couple of days over this whole thing, and…I'm young, you know? We both are. Honestly, I'm just not ready for a serious relationship," he admitted sheepishly. "You…probably feel a bit led on, and I'm really sorry but it's _because_ I respect you so much that I'm telling you this. I still want to be your friend, to get to know you better…" His voice turned soft. "I feel like we really click, you know? Like we have some sort of bond already, even though we don't know each other very well, like we have some sort of—"

"Connection." Both Saints looked at each other in shock as they spoke the word in unison. They couldn't help but break down into laughter.

"Yeah, I agree, Milo." Roxohnda smiled at him. "Thank you for being so honest, and…I accept your apology." She looked down briefly. "I…want to know you better as well, but still…I feel like this is, I don't know…the end of something."

"Nah," he said, sitting back onto the couch with a nonchalant grin. "You and me, Roxy, we've only just begun."

-

The next day, Roxohnda hesitantly knocked on the door of her teacher's cabin. She waited a few moments before Shaina opened the door. She could easily read the surprise on her face. The Perseus Saint rarely ever tried to visit her teacher at her personal abode.

"Roxohnda? What brings you here?"

She smiled as best she could. "Hello, _maître. _Could I come in? I wanted to speak with you about something."

"Of course," she said, moving so that Roxohnda could enter. They both sat at Shaina's small kitchen table across from each other.

"So, what can I do for you?"

"Well…" Shaina raised an eyebrow as Roxohnda removed her mask. "I want to talk to you about something seriously. I need…information. Advice, I guess."

Shaina sat back. _For her to remove her mask so freely, that's not like her…_"Alright."

Roxohnda nodded. "I've been having some issues with…a man."

Shaina smirked. She certainly was not expecting this. "A man?"

"Yes. He and I met in a bar down in the town." She smiled a bit to herself. "We spent the whole first night we met just talking, and it was…nice. Really, really nice. But then when I saw him again the next time I went to the bar, he was a total pig to me! After a while he invited me over to his place to explain himself, and I forgave him, but I'm still unsure about it. He told me he'd been drunk because he was stressed out over another woman."

Shaina looked shocked. "He hit on you, and then freaked out over another woman? Who is this guy, anyway?"

Roxohnda looked straight into Shaina's eyes. "He's the Scorpio Saint, Milo."

Shaina froze. _Now_ she understood why her pupil had come to her of all people to talk so seriously. "What did he tell you?"

"Honestly? He told me that he greatly admires and desires you, but he can't come out and say it, so he played his stupid games and he chased you off, and now he's crushed because you've found a lover."

Shaina raised an eyebrow. She wanted to laugh at the thought of Milo saying such a thing, but Roxohnda's demeanor made her realize the girl was being serious. "Roxohnda, listen to me. Milo is not a man you want to be involved with."

Roxohnda was stunned. "What?"

Shaina nodded. "Milo doesn't take women seriously. In fact, he doesn't take relationships in general seriously. Trust me; I have been dealing with him for far, far too long. He goes through women like water. He'll only hurt your feelings in the end. You should break things off with him as soon as you can."

"But _maître_, we're not dating. He doesn't want to."

"_What?_"

"I said, he doesn't want to date me, or anyone for that matter. He told me he's not ready for a relationship, and that he'd rather us be friends and get to know each other better."

Shaina was truly at a loss for words. That didn't sound like Milo at all. "Well…maybe he said that to you, but I wouldn't trust it, or him for that matter. I'm warning you, Roxohnda. Do not get involved with Scorpio Milo. Trust me."

Roxohnda stood up. "Shaina," She looked up at Roxohnda, perplexed by the use of her name and not some honorific. "I appreciate your concern but…well, I've been thinking a lot about this lately." Roxohnda clenched fists as her hands were shaking. "I really do look up to you, and I'm forever grateful for what you have done for me, but I know that I've been…clingy. For too long I have relied on you and your wisdom to get me through my toughest challenges, but I cannot do it any longer. I have to find my own way, become my own warrior. I need to make my own decisions. I trust Milo, and I will not break off my relations with him." She put her mask on the table. "Thank you for your time and words, _maître_; I truly appreciate your help and concern." She bowed respectfully before leaving the shocked Ophiuchus Saint in her wake.

The green-haired warrior got up and ran to the door, only to watch her pupil running into the distance. She couldn't help but display a bright smile. _It's about time, Roxohnda. I'm glad I could lead you to this point. Now, the rest is up to you._

_-_

DeathMask sighed with content as he sipped at his drink. He loved going to the bar regularly, it was an escape for him from the pressures of Sainthood. It was nice and quiet tonight, though, and he found that a bit odd. _This place is dieing for something interesting to happen tonight, damn it all!_

He turned to the front door as he heard it creak open. He wasn't surprised when he saw Milo walk in with a pretty orange-haired girl next to him. He watched as he led the girl to his usual table, then bent down and chatted with her briefly. The Scorpio Saint smiled at the girl and patted her shoulder before going over to the bar and ordering two beers.

DeathMask continued to watch the two interact with interest. He wasn't flirting with her, he hadn't groped her, and the girl actually looked like she had her wits about her. She wasn't Milo's usual type, and he wasn't acting in his normal manner.

The Cancer Saint sat back, thinking the situation over. Slowly, thoughts churned in his mind and formed into a plan.

He was going to make sure that Milo never bothered Shaina again, and he knew exactly how he was going to do it.

-

UNTIL NEXT TIME! Thanks for reading, and PLEASE, if you liked this chapter, take a second and drop me a review. Thanks!


	6. How Much More

Precious Metals Chapter 6, 'How Much More'

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Chapter 6 is finally here! Enjoy watching DeathMask in his attempt to be crafty XD

Saint Seiya belongs to Kishimoto and all who own it, not me. Only thing I own here is my original characters.

Roxohnda wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.

_I can't believe how much this sucks!_ She thought to herself as she sipped her drink. She cringed as the woman sitting on Milo's lap laughed just a little too loud.

For the past two months Roxohnda had been spending time with Milo, and it had been rather pleasant. He didn't bring up the incident at the bar again, nor did he repeat the actions he had taken that night. They had simply gone out casually, catching dinner or a movie, and getting to know each other. Roxohnda had learned much about Milo because of it, but one thing in particular stuck with her.

While having a conversation over dinner one night about being a Saint, Roxohnda had found herself compelled by Milo's thoughts and feelings on Athena. His loyalty to their Goddess surprised her, as she had not thought a womanizer like him could be so devoted to one thing or person. Loyalty like that from a man like Milo, she had thought to herself, would be something any girl would want.

She knew that for a fact, because just about every woman in town seemed to want a piece of Milo. That part of things wasn't exactly what was causing her so much pain.

She knew that Milo would be continuing his normal routine of picking up girls. What right did she have to argue against it? They were just friends, after all, so why should it bother her. The frustration was becoming unbearable for the Perseus Saint.

Roxohnda was jolted from her thoughts when Milo's 'new friend' flailed her arms, knocking Milo's drink over and onto Roxohnda. She stood up, looking down at her now wet top.

The woman began to laugh, as did her friends who were also sitting at the bar. Milo, however, was not laughing. "Are you okay, Roxy?"

Roxohnda clenched her fists. _I've had enough_. "I'm fine. I'm going to head home and change out of these clothes."

She turned to walk away, but was stopped by Milo's hand gripping her own. "Hey, Roxy, are you sure you're okay?"

She turned to him, seeing genuine concern in his eyes. She felt her chest pang as she squeezed his hand."Yes, Milo."

He looked at her warily. "Alright. Hey, listen, stop by and see me tomorrow morning, okay?"

Roxohnda nodded. "Sure," and with a wave, she left the bar.

The walk seemed longer than normal, and Roxohnda had felt as if she were in a daze the entire time. She valued her growing friendship with Milo, but she couldn't deny the toll that his flirting took on her. Perhaps, she thought, she should stop going out to bars with him. That way, she could see him one-on-one and avoid his legion of 'friends' altogether.

The idea felt like copping out to Roxohnda. She had promised herself that she would expose herself to Milo's actions, that she'd get used to them and accept them as a part of him. She had been sure that she could handle it, but the more she began to feel for the Scorpio Saint, the harder it was becoming.

_Am I just fooling myself? What the _hell_ am I expecting from him, anyway?_

"Hey, Perseus Saint!"

She looked up, her train of thought derailed by the voice. She saw a man approaching with a muscular build and dark blue hair. "You _are_ the Perseus Saint, right?"

"Yes…" As he came closer, she began to recognize the angles of his face and his deep, almost menacing voice. There was no mistaking it. "You're DeathMask, the Gold Cancer Saint!"

He smirked. "Well, aren't you observant?" he looked down. "You're also wet. What happened?"

Roxy looked down, crossing her arms over her chest reflexively. "Oh…some girl at the bar knocked a drink on me."

"Tch. That sucks." He grinned mockingly. "Didn't your boyfriend stick up for you?"

She looked at him oddly. "My…boyfriend?"

"Yeah," he replied, "You know, Milo."

_Oh, and I thought this night couldn't get any worse._ "Milo is _not_ my boyfriend."

DeathMask laughed. "He's not? What happened, did you two have a fight?"

"We were never dating. He doesn't want a relationship."

"Of course he doesn't!" DeathMask exclaimed, "He'd rather just flirt around than actually put effort into a relationship with someone worthy." He moved closer, his smile widening. "However, there has to be _somebody_ who can change his mind."

Suddenly, Roxohnda felt nervous. The pure, natural cosmos of this man was beginning to make the hairs on her body stand on end. "What are you getting at?"

"Milo is rather weak in regards to his feelings," DeathMask explained. "He flirts because he knows that he can keep women around like that. As long as he polishes his charm and flashes it to whomever he wants attention from, he'll get it. To keep a real woman around would bring uncertainty and risk to his emotions, because he'd actually have to _work_ to keep that person around." He caught Roxohnda's gaze with his. "If someone could convince him to put in that effort, though, he would have no more reason to chase after women as he does."

Roxohnda took a step back, quickly gathering her thoughts. When she looked into DeathMask's eyes, she could almost see the wheels turning in his head. "Shaina told me that Milo would hurt me, and to stay away from him."

"Normally, I'd agree, but like I said, if he were to—"

"She also told me that you feel the same way about him, that you'd do anything to keep him away from her," she said. "People consider you to be the most cruel and fearsome Saint of all. I know that isn't necessarily true in all situations because my _maître _would have nothing to do with you in that instance. She may be fearsome and cruel herself at times, but she is still a woman." She hardened her gaze. "What are you up to, DeathMask?"

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "Look kid, I'm just trying to help you out. You're one of Shaina's students, one that she's put a lot of time into. I just don't want to see it ruined by some pity party you're throwing yourself because the man you have your eye on doesn't know the first thing about how to treat a real woman. All that I'm trying to say is that if you want him, just—"

"You're concerned about _me_? Now I _know_ you're lying!" She put her hands on her hips. "Listen, DeathMask. You're right when you say that_ maître _put a lot of time and effort into my training. I am aware of that, and I'll forever be grateful to her for that. I'm sure you can assume that as well. Knowing that, you're going to stand here and tell me that Milo is a flirtatious jerk, but I should go and try to change him if I want him that badly? There's only one reason why you'd do something like that." She took several steps closer to him, looking right up into his face. "This isn't about me. It's about Shaina, isn't it? You're not doing this for any benefit of mine; you're doing this so Milo will stay away from your girlfriend!"

DeathMask raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Roxohnda felt the last bit of her restraint slip freely away. "Listen, DeathMask. Just stay out of this, okay? I can handle this on my own. If you're so concerned about Milo chasing after your girlfriend, maybe you should re-evaluate your relationship with her, because for you to go this far, to try and meddle in other people's lives just for the benefit of your relationship, you _must_ have something lacking there."

DeathMask growled, and as his eyes flared in anger. Roxohnda took a step back as she felt a dark, menacing cosmos she could only assume belonged to the man in front of her. DeathMask pulled his arm back, ready to strike the female warrior before him, but was only stopped when a voice rang out.

"What in the world are you doing?"

DeathMask turned. "Shaina…" he watched his lover walk towards them, her emerald eyes blazing as they usually were when she was angry.

"What are you doing out here?" she turned to Roxohnda. "What's going on?"

Roxohnda glared at DeathMask. He looked away, knowing he was in trouble. Unfortunately for him, Roxohnda was a fair woman, and he had it coming to him. "DeathMask was just telling me about how great he thinks it would be if I were to persuade Milo to date me so that he could no longer bother you."

Shaina looked at DeathMask. "Are you serious?" She shook her head, deciding to deal with him later. "Roxohnda, I understand that you—"

"No, you _don't_!" She exclaimed. "Everybody else thinks they understand my relationship with Milo, but nobody does! Milo has his shortcomings, but he's a good guy, and although he made a mistake, he apologized and has shown me nothing but kindness and respect, so lay off—"

"Do you love him?"

Roxohnda stopped, turning to her teacher. "Excuse me?"

Shaina put her hands on her hips. "I asked if you are in love with Milo."

The Perseus Saint took in a deep breath, her voice coming out shakier than she intended it to. "I can make my own decisions—"

"Obviously, you can't," DeathMask interrupted, "Because you're sitting here tearing yourself up over some moron who will never be able to understand nor care about what he does to women, you included." He took several steps forward, ignoring the sound of Shaina's orders to leave her student alone. "Listen. Shaina tells me you're a decent fighter, and an excellent strategist, so if you think about it logically, you should be able to see the truth. Milo is an asshole, always has been, always will be. He treats women like they're toys, and there is no reason why you should be an exception; you're nothing special, little girl. You standing here trying to defend your ignorance of that is just making you seem more foolish. Rather than wasting your time here, you should go and get yourself a damned wake-up call and stop whining over it!"

Roxohnda swallowed, fixated on the Cancer Saint's angry face, feeling only trails of wetness flowing down her cheeks. Pain and tightness suddenly seized her chest, and she couldn't help but feel like she was being strangled by the elder Saint's words. She suddenly shifted to the side and dodged around DeathMask, running towards Sanctuary.

Milo looked up at the sky as he walked towards the mountain he called home. After Roxohnda had left the bar, the mood of the night had seemed to leave with her. He had excused himself from his companion for the night and decided to go home.

He couldn't get her face out of his mind. The look she'd given him before she left had made him feel something that he couldn't quite define. He'd certainly never felt it before. Guilt had quickly begun to eat at him, and he figured he'd stop by to see if Roxohnda was okay before heading back to his own temple.

He suddenly felt cosmos flair, not too much, but he recognized it as DeathMask's. He hurried his steps, curious as to what was going on.

When he finally reached the source of the power he'd felt, he saw DeathMask and Shaina looking towards Sanctuary. He looked past them to see a moonlit hint of orange running off in the distance. _That couldn't have been…_

Milo stepped forward, his concern growing by the minute. "Hey, was that Roxohnda?"

The two Saints turned to him, looking surprised. Shaina was the first to speak. "Ah, Milo...yes, that was Roxohnda. I think she's heading home."

He scowled. "Is she okay?"

DeathMask frowned at him. "What do you think, idiot?"

Milo glared. "I wasn't asking you."

Shaina shook her head. "No, Milo, I don't think she is. Why are you here, anyway? Were you chasing after her? What happened?"

"Nothing happened," he explained, "A girl at the bar spilled my drink on her, so she went home to get changed."

DeathMask laughed. "Oh, it was _your_ drink? And just how did a random girl at the bar get a hold of your drink? Let me guess, you were flirting with her, right?"

Milo grumbled. "So what if I was?"

"Well, you moron," DeathMask grinned; "Now you know why she was so eager to get home."

Milo raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

DeathMask laughed again. "You really don't see it, do you? She didn't leave because she ruined her shirt; she probably left because she was tired of watching you fuck around with other women."

Milo sighed. "You know nothing, DeathMask. We're just friends."

"So she told me, but do you really think that's the way she wants it?" DeathMask's smile never left his face. "You have this uncanny way of being blind as a fucking bat when it really counts. You're so wrapped up in whatever is going on in your own head, you don't see how what you do messes with others."

Shaina stepped forward. "He's right, Milo. You're playing around with her emotions, and up until now, I was almost convinced that you were doing it intentionally, but I don't think you even know what you're doing. I'd suggest you leave her alone and let her gather her thoughts, Milo."

Milo was stunned. "You don't know anything! We've already talked about this, her and I, and—"

"And what, hmm?" Shaina took another step towards him. "You think that people don't change, that feelings always stay the same? Did it occur to you that maybe she would begin to feel more for you? Do you ever stop to think about how what you do affects others?"

Milo looked at her. He felt the pain that Shaina's gaze always brought him flow through him. He turned away only when Shaina began to give him a confused look. He turned to DeathMask, snarling at him before pushing past the both of them. He stopped a foot or two away, turning back. "You have no idea of how I feel about her, so stay the hell out of it!" he continued on his way, wanting nothing more than to get as far away from them as he possibly could.

Milo wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.

LEAVE A REVIEW! It's appreciated and helps me write better D Hope you enjoyed it! See you next time!


	7. A Little Trip

**_Precious Metals Chapter 7, "A Little Trip"_**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Chapter 7 is here! Chapter 8 will hopefully be following shortly. I have the rest of the story planned out, so it shouldn't take me much longer to finish it D

This chapter is dedicated to Marynchan for being such a sweetheart and a big Precious Metals supporter.

Also, thanks to Nyx and Stayka for beta-reading 3

PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW IF YOU LIKE.

Saint Seiya is property of Kuramada and anyone else who owns it. I own my characters. BAWWW if you don't like it D

Roxohnda couldn't sleep. The mixture of DeathMask's cruel words and her increasingly confusing feelings about Milo robbed her of any rest. She had come home and taken a bath, which hadn't relaxed her in the slightest. She had eaten, which did nothing for the faintness of mind she was feeling. She had spent a good three hours pacing through her hut before her aching ankles prompted her to sit.

And what made it worse was that the sun hadn't even begun to rise yet.

She sat on her bed with a cup of tea in her hands, still shivering cold despite the warmth of the beverage. She looked into the liquid, staring back at her tired face. She didn't realize that tears were falling until one caused a ripple in the drink.

_When was the last time I cried?_

Roxohnda couldn't think of the answer. She had come close to it after Milo had tried to force himself on her, she remembered, but she couldn't recollect the last time she had actually allowed herself to weep. Her chest was in such physical pain from her emotions that she wasn't sure if it was those very emotions or the pain itself that was causing the tears to fall. She sniffled, putting the cup on her bedside table and wiping her face with the back of her hand.

Suddenly, her body sprang into motion as she heard a sound. She stilled, hearing the slight creek of her front door. No matter how distraught with emotion Roxohnda was, she had trained too long and too hard for such things to deaden her instincts. She sat up slowly, walking foot-over-foot to the door of her bedroom, ever so slowly opening it to try and assess the situation.

She backed up as she saw a shadow cast by the candle she had left in the other room. The intruder was heading towards her bedroom, and Roxohnda immediately decided to be the initiator in this situation.

She jumped out of the bedroom with a kick, but it was blocked by the intruder's arm. The moment the intruder tried to grab her ankle Roxohnda pulled her leg down with all of her might, dragging her opponent with it. She delivered a second kick to the person's side, sending them into Roxohnda's modest couch.

As her enemy regained composure and came at her again, the Perseus Saint's first instinct was to move outside; even though there was candlelight, she could not clearly see her opponent. That put her at a grave disadvantage, especially considering that her opponent's blows were frighteningly accurate; she was fairly sure this person could see in the dark far better than she could.

Roxohnda did a back flip as the fighter tried to knock her down with a sweep of her leg. Roxohnda cart-wheeled backwards, kicking her front door open while doing so. She flipped backwards once more, landing and quickly getting into an offensive position facing the door. She stared, waiting for the intruder to emerge and reveal themselves.

It was a woman. Roxohnda thought her outfit was familiar, but immediately recognized the intruder once she saw a familiar mask framed by long jet-black hair. She raised an eyebrow. "Apphia?"

The woman took off her mask, the playful brown eyes behind it confirming that Roxohnda's suspicions were correct. She knew Apphia as a fellow Silver Saint, her cloth being the one of Nyx, and she was known for causing mayhem around Sanctuary with her two twin sisters. "Hey there Roxohnda!"

Roxohnda put a hand to her forehead, not in the mood to be subject to one of the dreaded Triplet's antics. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

Apphia smiled mischievously. "What are you doing _up_ at this hour?"

"That's none of your business!" Roxohnda snapped. Apphia seemed caught off-guard, and Roxohnda felt immediate guilt. "I'm sorry, Apphia…I haven't slept and…I have a lot on my mind."

Apphia came closer. "Anything I can help you with?"

Roxohnda shook her head. "No, I don't think anyone can really help me. Anyway…what did you come here for?"

"Well," Apphia began, "I came here to let you know that you, Oscar, and I have been selected for a last-minute mission."

Roxohnda raised an eyebrow. "Mission?"

Apphia nodded. "Lady Athena had one of her executives for the Grande Foundation fall sick, and he was supposed to fly to France for some big business meeting. Anyway, things have been slow here lately, so Lady Athena decided to stretch her legs a bit and attend the meeting herself. It should take her about four to five days she said, and she wants the three of us to act as her bodyguards."

"Okay," said Roxohnda, "But why does she need three of us? Isn't that a bit much?"

She grinned. "She wants you to translate for her." She giggled. "I don't think anybody had enough guts to even _try_ to get Camus to do it, and no harm can come of extra protection for our Goddess, I guess."

Roxohnda thought about it. She was sure that if she truly objected to it, Athena wouldn't push the issue. However, the opportunity to get out of Sanctuary appealed to her. She could use the time to think things through and get away from Milo and everyone around her trying to push her in different directions.

"All right. When do we leave?"

Milo ran to his door when he felt a warm, familiar cosmos enter his temple. He smiled at his visitor. "Hey Roxy!" He looked at her and frowned. "You look exhausted, are you okay?"

Roxohnda nodded. "I'm fine; I just didn't really sleep last night is all."

Milo's face fell. "Oh. Well, come on inside; I made breakfast for us."

She couldn't stop the smile that came to her face. "Thanks, Milo."

"So," Milo began after taking a sip of his coffee, "I want to apologize for last night."

Roxohnda was surprised and tried to figure out how Milo knew about what had happened between her, Shaina, and DeathMask until she realized he was referring to the girl at the bar. "Oh! It was nothing; I'm sure the stain will come out, and I was tired anyway. No harm done, really."

Milo watched her from across the table and knew something was wrong. She seemed melancholy compared to her normal vivaciousness that Milo suddenly realized he enjoyed. His concern outweighed his common sense. "Roxy, can I speak to you, in a very honest manner?"

She looked up at him. "Sure. I told you that you can talk to me about anything, Milo. What's on your mind?"

Milo looked into her eyes, holding her gaze with sheer willpower. "I saw you running away from Shaina and DeathMask last night."

She looked down, breaking the visual connection between them. "…Oh, you did?"

"Yeah, I did; I was going to check up on you and make sure you were okay, but I wound up having a …conversation with the two of them."

"Really?" she asked, still looking down. "About what?"

She heard his chair shift, and before she could look up, he was sitting next to her, lifting her chin up with a finger. "Roxy, be honest with me…does it bother you, watching me with other women?"

"I…" Roxohnda tried to kick her mind into giving some sort of answer. If she didn't come up with something, she was afraid she'd begin to cry or scream right in front of him. "I…wouldn't have any need to be, right? I mean, we're just friends; we've been through this already." She smiled at him, genuine albeit tired-looking. "I just want to see you happy, Milo."

Milo was about to object and say that her response wasn't an answer, but Roxohnda was quicker. "I suppose I should tell you; I'm leaving soon on a mission."

The piece of information was so unexpected that it completely sidetracked Milo's train of thought. "A mission? What kind?"

"Apphia, Oscar, and I are accompanying Athena to France for a business meeting for the Grande Foundation; one of her big business people fell sick and she felt like getting out of Sanctuary for a bit. Since I speak French, she wants me to translate and have the three of us act as bodyguards."

Milo nodded. He knew that Athena had been talking about getting more personally involved with the Grande Foundation, and it was a good chance for her to test out her new Silver Saints. "I see. Well, be on guard and take it easy, okay?"

Roxohnda nodded as she finished her breakfast. "I'm sure we'll be fine. I gotta go and get packing; we're leaving within the hour. Thank you for the breakfast, Milo."

As she got up to leave, Milo followed her. "I'll come and see you when you come back, okay Roxy?"

She turned to him. "…Sure. That sounds good."

Milo watched her as she turned and continued walking. Something was definitely wrong, and he felt uneasy letting her go while knowing something was bothering her. Before he knew what he was doing, he darted forward and wrapped his arms around her.

Roxohnda froze as Milo pressed her back against his chest and his cheek to her temple. She shivered as his voice huskily whispered into her ear.

"Be careful, Roxy, okay?" He squeezed her tighter. "I'll miss you."

It took all of Roxohnda's willpower to pull away from him. She nodded to him before running off, desperate to distance herself from Milo as quickly as possible.

Milo sat down at the bar wanting nothing more than to get so drunk he couldn't see straight. He smiled when he realized one of his favorite bartenders was on that night.

"Hey Milo," the woman said, "What can I get you tonight, hon?"

A pair of blue eyes flashed in his mind. He couldn't… "Just a soda is fine." The bartender looked at him, shocked by his straight-laced request, but retrieved it for him nonetheless.

Milo couldn't shake the uneasy feeling he had. Roxohnda wasn't acting like herself, and honestly, he hadn't realized how much he liked her normally upbeat personality until it had left. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't remember the last time he really saw her smile. Where was the woman he had found himself so attracted to that first night? What had changed?

_I'm a fool_, he said to himself. _I changed her. It was _me. _DeathMask and Shaina were right; I've probably been hurting her the whole ti—_

"Hello, Milo."

Milo turned to his side, recognizing the Asian man next to him. "…Sanjiro, right?"

He nodded, adjusting his glasses. "Yes, that's me! I figured I'd find you here. I wanted to talk to you about something, more specifically, Roxohnda."

The Scorpio Saint sighed. "Listen, are you going to sit here and tell me I'm an asshole for the way I treat her? Cause if so, I don't need to hear any more of it, so you can just leave."

Sanjiro shook his head. "No, that's not why I'm here. I came here to warn you."

That caught his attention. "Warn me?"

The Asian warrior nodded. "I wanted to give you a heads up. Roxohnda left on a trip today—"

"I know," Milo interrupted, "She told me this morning."

Sanjiro nodded. "Alright then, I'll skip to the point. I want you to tell me honestly and truthfully; what are your feelings towards Roxohnda?"

Milo glared. "It's none of your business!"

Sanjiro glared right back. "Listen to me! I want to know how you feel about her, because if you seriously have feelings for her, you're going to have to do something about it before it's too late!"

"Too late?" Milo frowned. "What do you mean?"

Sanjiro sighed in frustration. "Milo…do you know who is going on this trip with her?"

Milo nodded. "Sure. She told me it was her, Oscar, and Apphia, and of course Athena, and probably Tatsumi. Why?"

Sanjiro shook his head. "You must not know, then. I'll get right to the point." He turned on his barstool to look straight at Milo with such intensity that Milo turned towards him, feeling fear nip at the back of his mind.

"Oscar is interested in Roxohnda, Milo. He hasn't been pleased with what's been going on between you two, and he plans on confessing it to her while they're away."

Milo's eyes widened as he heart practically stopped. "_What?!_"

DUN DUN DUN, cliffhanger D See you next time!

Please feel free to leave a review! 3


	8. Decisions, Decisions

**_Precious Metals Chapter 8, "Decisions, Decisions"_**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Chapter 8 is here! In this chapter, we see if Oscar's efforts are going to be worthwhile, learn a bit more about Roxohnda, and watch Milo FINALLY make a decision!

Saint Seiya is property of Kuramada and all who own it. My own characters belong to me. Astreya belongs to Stayka.

Enjoy, and PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! D

"Hey Roxy, can we talk?"

Roxohnda looked at Oscar thoughtfully. He had seemed as if he had something on his mind ever since they had landed in France. She had assumed he was worried about Athena's safety, but their Goddess had gone to bed and Apphia was on guard. While she was known for making trouble around Sanctuary, she was just as loyal as them, and they both knew Athena was safe in Apphia's care. "Sure, Oscar."

He led her to the balcony of the penthouse suite the five of them were staying in. The sky was filled with the blue and orange hues of a French sunset, the darkest parts already adorned with stars. Roxohnda smiled at the sight, thankful for the peaceful scene.

Oscar watched her intently, a smile coming to his face. "I haven't seen you this serene in a while." Roxohnda looked at him, unsure of what to say to that. His smile fell. "Roxohnda, please be honest with me. You haven't been yourself lately. Does this have to do with Milo?"

Roxy looked down. She hadn't spoken to anyone about her issues with Milo, and she was unsure of whether she wanted to. However, Oscar was a close friend, she trusted him, and they were alone for the moment. "Yes, it does."

He frowned. "Tell me what's going on, Roxy, please."

"Well," she began, "after the whole issue at the bar, he sent me a letter asking me to come to his place. I decided to go and hear him out, and he was genuinely sorry about it. He told me that he cares about me, but he's in love with someone else."

"Someone else?" Oscar didn't expect that. "Who?"

She looked at him sadly. "Shaina."

_Oh, you bastard…_Oscar felt his blood begin to boil. "He told me that he didn't want a relationship with me, that between his obvious flaws with his women skills and his feelings for Shaina, he wanted to just be my friend rather than lead me on or do something he knew would hurt me. I respected that, and I agreed."

Oscar looked out at the sky. "It didn't work, did it?"

Roxohnda bit her lip. "It did, for a while. We did a lot of stuff together, just the two of us, and got to know each other. He really is a great guy…it's really all my fault."

Oscar raised an eyebrow. "How?"

She looked down. "I fell for him. That is, I think I'm falling for him. I liked him more as I got to know him, but I never said anything, so he never refrained from hitting on women like he did in front of me. He doesn't know how I feel, so how can he know that he's hurting my feelings, you know? And then…"

Oscar moved closer. "And then what, Roxy?"

She looked at him. "Last night, coming home from the bar, I ran into DeathMask, the gold Cancer saint. He tried to convince me to date Milo, but I figured out that he was just doing it to try and get him away from Shaina. They both confronted me last night, telling me he is no good and to not even bother, but I _know_ he's a great guy, I know him better than that." She turned her head away from him. "It's just…confusing."

Oscar put his hands on Roxohnda's shoulders, prompting her to look at him. "Roxohnda, this may sound…out of the blue, but please, hear me out. You don't deserve this. You're an amazing woman. You're a great warrior, intelligent, funny…" He swallowed, looking into her eyes with the utmost seriousness. "I want a chance, Roxohnda. Please, let me show you how a woman like you should be treated."

Roxohnda couldn't hide the surprise on her face. She had planned to spend her time here thinking over her situation with Milo; now a whole other issue had sprung up. "Oscar, I had no idea you felt this way…but I'm still very confused right now, and your friendship is vital to me. I wouldn't want to jeopardize our friendship this way. Please, understand where I'm coming from—"

She gasped when Oscar put a hand to her cheek. "Please, understand where _I_ am coming from. I would never let anything ruin our friendship, Roxy. I just can't stand seeing you like this. Your natural energy is one of the most attractive things about you, and this whole Milo business seems to have robbed you of it." He pulled his hand away and took her hands in his. "Please, can you at least let me take you out to dinner while we're here? No pressure; I just want to show you a good time for one night. Please, Roxy?"

Roxy looked at him, his eyes pleading with her. She was tired mentally, too tired to fight him with logic and going out for a night in France sounded heavenly to her. _Why should I let him hold me back from having fun, if he isn't even interested in me?_

"I guess going out to dinner wouldn't be so bad."

-

"_I'm scared, Astreya…"_

_Seven year old Roxohnda looked up at the Saint as he gazed down at her. "You should be, little one. You are about to enter into a world you know nothing about, but you will learn, and you will adapt."_

_Roxohnda looked up at the other Saints, who were looking down upon her in more ways than one. She could feel their cosmo through their gazes, practically burning holes through her and making her want to run away and cry. She sniffled._

"_Do not cry, Roxohnda," Astreya got onto one knee, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You will regret it if you do. These people are warriors, tried and true. They will tear you apart if you let them." His voice shook slightly. "So many like you have fallen due to such weakness. Do not let the next body that Sanctuary buries be yours."_

_He spun her around and looked her straight in the eyes. "Showing such emotions is pointless. Work hard, take that emotion and turn it into a tool to use for your training. Take your mask, put it on, and become a warrior for Athena! You want to protect her, don't you?" The young girl nodded. "Then that is what you must do to protect her. If you falter, even for a moment, you will be killed when Athena needs you most. Do not let that happen to yourself. Learn, grow stronger, or perish; it is as simple as that." He gave her a hard look. "That is what being a Saint is; live or die. It's your choice, Roxohnda."_

_Roxohnda looked at all the Saints glaring down at her, and at the harsh gaze of Astreya. She nodded at him, putting her mask on._

"_I _will_ live, Astreya. Just you watch."_

Roxohnda opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. She was so disoriented that it took a few seconds for her to remember where she was.

She sat up, resting her head in her hand. It had been years since she had dreamed of Astreya. Perhaps it was all of the heavy thinking she had been doing before she fell asleep that had been the cause of such an odd dream. In fact, she couldn't even remember when she fell asleep in the first place.

"I have to get some sleep for tomorrow," she said out loud. She laid back down, closing her eyes and shifting to find a comfortable position, trying to simply concentrate on nothing but the darkness.

"_You gonna give up yet, girl?"_

"_Never." Roxohnda fell into an offensive stance, trying to catch her breath. She wasn't sure how long she and this man before her named Gagnir had been trading blows, but she was more than ready to end it. She could feel how badly he wanted the Perseus cloth in each punch and kick he delivered, but she knew that she wanted it more._

_They both stood ready to attack, gauging each other with probing glares. Gagnir broke his stance and stood straight as the crowd of Saints watching them began to get rowdy again._

"_I don't have time to play around with you, girl. I have to get to training with my new Cloth!" He grinned cockily. "So how about one last hurrah, hmm? One final attack, whoever's left standing takes all."_

_She smirked. "Fine with me, lunkhead."_

_He got back into his stance. "Good. You need to learn that women have no place here, anyway!" They both charged simultaneously, putting every bit of their strength and Cosmo into their attacks._

_Roxohnda was satisfied when she heard the crunch of her foot meeting the side of Gagnir's head, but cringed at the snapping noise her body made as his foot collided with her midsection. As if in slow motion, both of them flew backwards, repelled by the power of the other's attack._

_After watching Gagnir thud to the ground on the opposite side of the arena, she looked down to see where she herself would land. Her eyes widened as she realized a gaping hole in the ground made by a previous attack of Gagnir's was directly in her path._

_She screamed as her body smacked into the bottom of the small pit her enemy had created. She stayed there in a haze of pain, wondering if she was even still alive. Her delusions were cut through by her mentor's voice._

"_Roxohnda!" Shaina's words carried anger and disappointment with them. "Don't be so pathetic! You told me you wanted this Cloth more than anything! Was that a lie? Are you going to give up after coming this far?"_

_She couldn't give up. Getting this cloth and using it to fight for Athena had been her goal for almost half of her life. She wanted it so bad she could taste it above the dirt that had intruded her mouth when she landed. She spat, trying to rid herself of the gritty taste before bracing herself with her arms, slowly getting to her feet._

_The hole was not that deep, but she could not climb out in her state. She panted, staring at the walls of the man-made pit. She gritted her teeth and growled, flaring her Cosmo as much as she could in her state, then jumped, clearing the depth of the hole._

_Roxohnda fell to her knees as she landed on the higher ground, bracing herself again and standing up slowly. She looked up at Saga, who was sitting in his Pope's robes above the arena and staring down at her. She met his eyes with a fiery, powerful look, nodding slightly to him._

_He stood up. "Roxohnda is the victor, and is therefore the new Saint of Perseus!"_

_She turned to Shaina, smiling. She couldn't read her teacher's face, of course, but she could feel the pride coming from her. Roxohnda turned, walking towards Shaina to share her moment of victory with her. She called upon her new Cloth, donning it with pride as many of the crowd cheered for her. She glanced back, seeing several men pulling Gagnir's dead body out of the arena._

_She turned back to Shaina, sadness in her eyes. "I did not mean to kill him."_

"_Do not feel guilty, Roxohnda." Shaina said. "He lost, the Cloth is yours. You both went into this knowing that it was life or death for both of you."_

_Roxohnda nodded. "Yes…I understand that it is kill-or-be-killed, but this was not my intention."_

_Shaina put a hand on her shoulder. "You can't hesitate as a Saint, Roxohnda. You must rely on your instincts. To meditate on confusing matters for too long will only make you more confused. You have to have faith in your instincts."_

Roxohnda cringed as her sleep was interrupted by a screeching noise. She grumbled as she turned over to bang on the buttons on the alarm clock beside her until it shut off. She sat up and sighed, looking at the rising sun outside and feeling in her bones that it would be another long day for her.

-

Milo awoke to the sound of someone walking around his temple. He felt around for the Cosmo, grumbling when he recognized it. He hopped out of bed and sighed when he saw the intruder cooking breakfast in his kitchen. "Kanon, what in Athena's name are you doing in my temple?"

"Making waffles," the Gemini Saint replied casually. "Want one?"

"Sure," he said, not even bothering to push the issue as he sat at his kitchen table. "Why are you here, anyway?"

Kanon set a plate in front of each of them and sat down. "I came for two reasons. First of all, I have no more food in my pantry and I didn't feel like shopping," Milo grumbled at that. "Secondly, I wanted to see how you were doing with Roxohnda."

Milo sighed. "I really don't want to talk about it, but she's off on a mission right now with another Silver Saint who I've been told is interested in her."

Kanon frowned. "That isn't good. What are you going to do about it?"

"I've been trying to figure that out," he admitted. "I'm not sure what to do…he might really make her happy."

"Or, he might not," Kanon pointed out. "What if she's not interested in him? Look, you can't give up. Think about how you really feel about her, Milo. Do you really want to see her with someone else?"

Milo looked down, thinking over all he had been through because to her, how he had changed for the better. His gaze hardened as he looked up at Kanon.

"I'm tired of this back and fourth," he admitted. "I want her, Kanon, and when she gets back, I'm going to tell her once and for all."

Kanon grinned. "You're a Gold Saint, Milo. Why wait?"

Thanks for reading, please leave a review, and see you next time! D


	9. Confessions

Precious Metals Chapter 9

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** THIS IS THE FINAL CHAPTER! Thank you to all of my readers!! as well as:

Stayka and Nyx Apphia for beta-reading every chapter!

Everyone who drew Precious Metals fanart; seeing my creation come to life like that is amazing!

Enjoy this last chapter, and please feel free to leave a review!

Precious Metals Chapter 9, "Confessions"

Oscar took a bite of his apple tart, watching Roxohnda over the candlelit table. "It must be nice to be back in your homeland."

Roxohnda looked back at him, seriously thinking the question over. She had been stumbling over her words during the entire meal, still not comfortable with the fact that she was on a _date_ with one of her best friends. "Well, I remember very little of France, to tell you the truth. I always more considered Sanctuary my home." She took a bite of her crème brûlée thoughtfully. "I was an orphan, so I have no family to speak of."

Oscar nodded. "I too was an orphan, but I very fondly remember Spain. It's beautiful, and very rich in history."

Roxohnda nodded in understanding as the waiter put the check for their meal down on the table. Oscar took it, paying for it himself. "So, did you enjoy our dinner tonight, Roxy?"

She nodded. Roxohnda couldn't deny that she had enjoyed going out to dinner with Oscar. Still, as she looked at him, even in a romantic French restaurant setting, she felt as if something about the situation was still not _right_. "Yes, I had fun!" That was true at least. "Thank you for taking me out."

Oscar smiled. "Anytime, Roxy, I had a good time too!" He stood up and held his hand out to her. She took it and he gently used it to help her up, planting a soft kiss to it. She blushed, but it caused a feeling in her chest that didn't seem to fit the situation properly.

He escorted her out of the restaurant, and only when they were halfway back to the hotel did he speak again. "I'm going to be blunt, since this is probably going to be awkward no matter how I go about this." He stopped and turned to her, holding her hands in his. "Having gone out with me this once, is there _anything_ you feel for me?"

They stared at each other, nervous as the question hung unanswered in the air. Oscar was a true, close friend, and she couldn't give him the truth he deserved without hurting him, she realized. "You are a wonderful man, Oscar, you truly are…"

He sighed. "But you really like Milo, right?"

She met his eyes evenly. "I love him, Oscar."

Oscar squeezed her hands as they began to shake; it had to be scary for her to admit something like that in this situation, he realized. His voice was soft and reassuring, despite his personal pains. "Very well, then. I asked for a chance, and you gave it to me. What matters to me in the end, Roxy, is that you're happy, and if he really makes you that happy, then pursue that. I won't stop you."

Roxohnda breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry, Oscar, but thank you for understanding." She looked at him worriedly. "We're…okay, right?"

He chuckled. "Of course we are, Roxy. I told you that we'd still be friends no matter what." He smiled as she hugged him, and he held her close, kissing her forehead. "You just make sure that he doesn't hurt you anymore; you're my friend, I'll kick his ass if he does anything to you!"

She shook her head with a smile, pulling away from him slightly. The curve of her lips fell when she saw a flash of blue over Oscar's shoulder. Her eyes adjusted, trying to see what it was. Her eyes widened, a breath caught in her throat. "M…Milo?"

Oscar turned, confirming with a raised eyebrow that she wasn't seeing things. He looked down at Roxy, who was still in his arms. "How did he get here? He must have…oh, _man_." He looked down at Roxohnda, seeing the pained and confused look on her face. "Roxy, you gotta go after him!"

She looked up at him. "He…he probably thinks that you and I—"

"I know, that's why you have to go after him!" He seized her by the shoulders. "Roxy, if you really love that man, you can't let him walk away. Go get him, explain everything, and tell him how you feel! It'll only get worse with every step you let him take!" He turned and pushed her in the direction the Scorpio Saint had gone. "Go, now!" He watched her body spring into action; flying down the night-lit French street faster than he had thought her legs could carry her.

He pulled out his cell phone as he watched his friend disappear into the night. He hit a number on his speed dial, listening to it ring.

"Hello?"

"Sanjiro, you are an _ASS!_"

Oscar could almost hear his friend cringe on the other end of the line. "What did I do this time?"

He growled. "You told Milo I was going to ask her out, didn't you?" The silence on the other line confirmed his suspicions. "I am going to _throttle_ you when I get back!"

"Hey man, calm down and hear me out!" Sanjiro pleaded, "I had my reasons!"

Oscar almost didn't believe his ears. "What _reasons_ could you have for busting up a friend's chance at dating a girl he liked, you jackass!"

"Just listen to me, okay?" Sanjiro pleaded. "The four of us are friends, you know, almost like family. If you dated Roxy and it fell through, we'd never be the same again! Besides all of that, think about this for a minute Oscar; Roxohnda _really_ likes Milo."

Oscar looked down. "She loves him. She told me so."

"Really?" Sanjiro felt a bit relieved that he hadn't risked his friendship with Oscar for nothing. "I know that you like Roxy, but you don't love her, Oscar. You can take your time and find a woman that you really love, but Roxy is already in love with Milo. Do you understand what I'm trying to say here, man?"

Oscar clutched the phone in anger, but knew that his friend was right. "Yeah, I see what you're saying, Sanjiro. That was just really dirty to do to a friend, man!"

"I'm sorry!" Sanjiro said with genuine guilt in his voice. "Your mission was so last-minute that you barely had time to even tell me you were going to ask Roxy out, remember? If we had more time, I would have said this to you before you left, I swear!"

Oscar forced himself to even his breathing. "I need time to think this over, man. I believe what you're telling me, but that wasn't kosher to do to a friend!"

"I understand." Sanjiro said sadly. "You have every right to be angry. Concentrate on protecting Athena while you're there, and we'll talk when you get back to Greece, okay?"

"All right, 'Jiro. I'll see you when I get back." Oscar clutched the cell phone in his hand as he closed it, hanging up on his so-called friend. He needed time to think, and Apphia was probably itching for a break from her duties as it was, and so he turned to walk back to the hotel to take his turn to watch over Athena.

Milo could have transported himself back to Sanctuary, but he wanted to clear his mind first before he went back to face his friends; he was too distraught to deal with them in his current state. His ears perked up as he heard a familiar voice yelling his name.

Roxohnda sped up her running, ignoring the burning sensation in her legs as she finally began to catch up to him. "Milo, wait, please!"

She sighed in relief as she saw him stop. She skidded to a halt. "Milo, please, don't go. Let me explain—"

"You don't need to," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. She followed him as he began to walk again. "Oscar seems like a nice enough guy; I'm sure he'll treat you well."

"Milo, stop walking and talk to me, _please_!" she fought to keep tears from her eyes. "You don't understand; I don't feel that way about Oscar at all! Please, just let me explain!"

He stopped at that. He ignored the sickening feeling of hope rising in his chest as he turned to her. The anger bred by the hurt he felt dissipated when he saw the sadness on her face. "I'm listening."

Roxohnda swallowed hard. "What you saw isn't what you thought it was." He rolled his blue eyes at her. "I'm serious! The night we arrived here in France, he asked me how things were with him, and I had told him we were just friends. He told me he was interested me and just wanted a chance to take me out, and I agreed to go out to dinner with him, but there was _nothing there_, Milo. Oscar is my friend and nothing more." The look in her eyes convinced Milo that she was telling the truth. "I had planned on using my time here to think through everything that's happened."

"And what _has_ happened?" He asked. "You keep telling me you have nothing on your mind, but that's obviously a lie." He stepped towards her. "Tell me what's been on your mind, Roxohnda." She couldn't ignore the emotion in his eyes. "I'm concerned for you."

She looked into his eyes, taking a small step forward. "I've been fighting with the fact that I have feelings for you, Milo. I know that you don't feel ready for a real relationship, so I didn't want to say anything." She sniffled. "Still, with all the time we spent together, I just couldn't help it." She cursed herself as she felt moisture at the corner of her eyes. "I know I'm falling for you, and I've been trying to stop it, but I _can't_. Part of me doesn't want to stop it, either. It's begun to hurt too much to keep it from you, so please forgive me, but I can't help myself. I _do _feel jealous of those women that you flirt with, because I wish that you would turn your attentions towards me. I've learned a lot about you in the past couple of months, but I want _more_ than just that..."

Milo felt the worry in his chest instantly left. He stepped even closer, placing a hand on her cheek. "Roxy..."

Roxohnda felt heat flow to her cheeks. "Milo? What…what are you—"

"I was such a fool to not realize that I was hurting you." He gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I want you to understand something Roxy; regardless of anything between us, I care about you, and I don't want you to ever feel like you have to hide how you really feel from me."

She nodded slowly at him. "Okay, then…why are you here?"

He smiled slightly. "I came here for _you_, Roxy." She couldn't hide the shock on her face. "Look, I meant what I said when I told you I wasn't ready for a relationship and I felt it wasn't fair to you to try." He swallowed. "However, Sanjiro came to me and told me about Oscar's feelings for you, and when he said he was going to admit them to you, I almost had a heart attack." He moved an inch closer. "It made me realize how I really feel about you, Roxy, that I _do_ have feelings for you. Strong ones."

Roxohnda looked at him for a few moments before shaking her head. "That can't be true; you don't really feel that way Milo, I know that." Pain bled into her eyes. "You admitted to me that you love Shaina, and I've accepted that. You can't deny your feeling for her."

Milo thought that over, realizing he was about to lose the woman in front of him if he didn't put his pride aside and say what he truly felt. The whole idea was a scary thought, but the thought of losing her was scarier.

Roxohnda gasped as Milo wrapped an arm around her, gently seizing her shoulder and pulling her closer. His other hand went to her hair, running his fingers through it before catching a section of it in between his fingers, enjoying the feeling of it in between his digits. "My feelings for you, Roxohnda, are different then the way I feel for Shaina. I _thought_ that I loved her, but feeling for you the way that I do made me realize that it isn't her I want." He looked into her eyes intensely. "It's _you_ that I want, Roxy. I don't want anyone else _but_ you. I thought I wasn't ready to be with someone, but I realized that it was my confusion over Shaina that was really holding me back. Regardless of whether I was ready before, or even if I'm ready now, I don't want to risk losing you over waiting too long. I want to _become_ ready to give you all of the things I want to, and I want to do it by your side." He pulled her closer, leaning his head down towards her.

Roxohnda closed her dampened eyes as Milo pressed his lips gently against hers. She had always imagined a kiss with Milo would be world-shaking, but it wasn't. It was like a release of a pressure building up that she hadn't realized was at its peak. It was soothing and warm, and the emptiness the both of them had felt filled with each passing moment.

Roxohnda let her eyes stay closed for a moment after he pulled away before she opened them. As she looked into his eyes, all of the fear and confusion fled; all that was there now was the feelings they had bared for each other. She put a hand to his cheek. "I can accept that you still might not be ready for a relationship Milo, but I don't want to wait any longer."

Milo smiled brilliantly. "You don't have to, Roxy." He pulled her against him. "I have you now, and I'm not foreseeing myself letting you go anytime soon."

She frowned mockingly. "Well, crap! What am I going to do stuck to you like this, then?"

He chuckled. "Well, I can think of some things…" and with that, he leaned down again, capturing her lips with more confidence than the first time.

Roxohnda sighed. _This_ was what she had expected a kiss with Milo to be. The moment he had kissed her again, it was like the gently friction of his lips had caused a spark that lit a fire between them. She pressed herself against him, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

Milo felt a thrill he hadn't experienced before flow through him as he deepened their kiss. He hadn't realized how badly he had craved this until he had it; he couldn't hold himself back from indulging in his sudden desire to take her breath away. He buried a hand in her hair, whispering her name against her lips.

He knew he had succeeded when Roxohnda pulled away from him gently, almost panting. He smiled warmly at her, holding her close for a long, sweet minute before he felt excitement begin to build in him. He looked down at her, and the smile on her face told him she was feeling the same joy he was.

Roxohnda clung to Milo as she felt him sweep her up in his arms and spin her once. Their laughter rung out into the night sky, only ceasing when their lips met yet again in a kiss of a love long overdue.

THE END!!

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